Materials for the election in Enugu East will remain in the custody of the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) till the new date, Yakubu said.
By Jeffrey Agbo
The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) has postponed the Enugu East senatorial election over the death of the Labour Party’s candidate, Oyibo Chukwu.
INEC chairperson, Prof Mahmood Yakubu, broke the news at a media briefing held at the National Collation Centre in Abuja on Friday.
Some unidentified gunmen killed Chukwu on Wednesday night at Amechi Awkunanaw in Enugu South Local Government Area. His personal assistant was also killed and their vehicle razed.
Yakubu said the Labour Party reached out to INEC and conveyed its intention to provide a replacement and go ahead with the poll at a later date.
The INEC boss said the request is in line with the provision of the law – Section 34, Sub-Section 1 of the Electoral Act 2022.
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“The Labour Party has provided satisfactory evidence of the death of its candidate. Consequently, the commission has suspended the election in the Senatorial district as provided by law,” said Yakubu.
“We have already communicated this decision to our Enugu State office. Therefore, there will be no senatorial election in Enugu East Senatorial District made up of six local government areas, 77 wards and 1,630 polling units tomorrow, February 25, 2023
“The election will now be combined with the governorship and state assemblies’ elections holding in the next two weeks, on 11th of March 2023.”
Materials for the election in Enugu East will remain in the custody of the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) till the new date, he added.
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